Before the End
by weirdgirl42
Summary: Sam and Teal’c talk after “Talion. SPOILERS FOR THE EPISODE TALION! DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU'VE SEEN IT!


Title: Before the End  
Author: weirdgirl42  
Summary: Sam and Teal'c talk after "Talion"  
Pairings: None really. Mention of JackSam and DanielVala  
Disclaimer: Don't own them. If I did Jack would still be here and there'd be a season 11  
Author's Note: This really has no point. I was just watching Talion and it occurred to me that Sam and Teal'c don't ever really talk about their friendship and the experience they share. This is really sappy but it came to my head and demanded to be written.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Before the End**

Sam paused for a moment outside the door before knocking gently.

"Enter," came the reply.

Sam opened the door and saw Teal'c sitting crossed leg on the floor. Several candles were burning and cast the only light in the room.

"Can I be of some assistance Colonel Carter?" Teal'c asked.

Sam sat down across from him, placing her hands in her lap and not quite meeting his gaze. "Teal'c I understand why you left. I know this has never been an easy situation for you, with allegiance being torn in two different directions. I can't imagine having to make some of the sacrifices you've made."

"I have never questioned the oath I swore to the Tau'ri. I am sorry if my leaving caused you to question my loyalty to SG1."

"It didn't," Sam said quickly. "That isn't what this is about. I just…I realized as I was watching you go through the gate that you and I…we're the only ones who've…who haven't…"

"We are the only members of SG1 who have not left."

"Yeah. And when I watched you go through the gate I realized that…everything's changing. For some reason things have begun to feel different. And I couldn't help but think that this time, you were really leaving for good."

"That thought had indeed crossed my mind as well. I am grateful it was not the reality."

"Even so," Sam continued, "I can't shake this feeling that things are changing and about to change even more. I mean Jack's in Washington and I don't know how much longer I can stay here while he's there. Daniel keeps talking about going to Atlantis permanently and I think Vala will go where he goes. And Cameron, well he's not really…a part of us. Am I making any sense?"

"Indeed," Teal'c replied. "I too believe that our paths may soon diverge. As much as it pains me to think of."

"I watched you walk through the 'Gate and all I could think of was that if you never came back, I'd never get the chance to tell you how much it's meant to me to have you here for all these years. No matter what else was going on you were always here and I relied on that more than I think I let on." She could feel the tears welling up but pressed on, determined to say what she had come there to say. "You are my brother Teal'c, more so than my actual brother. And wherever we go from here, whatever happens tomorrow or next week or next year, I want you to know that I never would have survived these last ten years without you. And I never would have had the strength to come back after Jack left if it hadn't been for you."

When she'd finished Teal'c felt a pain in his chest that he'd seldom allowed himself to feel. She would not meet his eyes but he could see the wetness creeping down her face. Before he knew what had happened he reached out and took her hands in his. "Jaffa are taught to respect and rely on each other in battle, but to never think of our brothers in arms as anything more. Many years have passed since I gave up this philosophy. And though it may not always have been apparent, I gave it up most strongly with you Samantha Carter. I am honored to be your brother. And I have been honored to stand beside you."

Reaching out his placed his hands on her shoulders. After a moment hers came up to rest on his. Leaning forward their foreheads touched and a mutual understanding passed between them. Whatever the future brought, they shared a bond that no one else could touch. They shared the bond of watching friends leave, only to return, then leave again. The bond of knowing that one day soon SG1 would end forever and their lives would no longer be physically entwined. But that their lives and futures would be forever blended together in their shared experience.

When they released each other and the moment had passed they sat unspeaking until they'd lost track of the time. Tomorrow would come, today they were still SG1.

**The End**


End file.
